Hourglass
by Spunkt
Summary: The summer before the Marauder's six year is full of it’s own complications. Sirius leaving home and Remus not answering any letters sets the course for turbulence. Story will continue into the sixth year. Told by Sirius. Marauder fans will love :D
1. The Runaway

Well, here goes my first try at a Harry Potter fic. Don't worry, I'm not some fledgling writer, I've been practicing for quite some time now. Thanks to a few of my good friends, I have been thrown into the Harry Potter fandom and have found myself reluctantly obsessed with the Marauder era.  
  
So I'm writing this story out my love for the tragedy that eventually bestowed the four best friends. The story takes place during the summer before James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter's sixth year and will move on into the sixth year. The story will be told by Sirius, being my favorite character and whom I am constantly reminded by friends that I resemble.  
  
Summary (a.k.a. tentative plans) : The summer before James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter's six year is full of it's own complications. Sirius leaving home and Remus not answering and letters sets the course for a turbulent few months. Upon arriving to Hogwarts for the school year, the usual teenage dilemmas arise, but attention is also directed towards the seemingly random murders occurring within the wizard community. The effects of this will hit too close to home for our boys. Why is this year filled with so much change? No pairings. Yet.  
  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters are copyright J.K. Rowling. The storyline, however, is mine. I'm really excited about starting this fic, please leave feedback.  
  
Hourglass  
  
It was always difficult being home for the summer. Watching the grass outside the muggle homes wither and die never exactly alleviated the gloom around 12 Grimmauld Place.  
  
As if anything could.  
  
Regulus parading around the house like the pompous git he was, mum and dad encouraging him with every breath they could spare. I fit somewhere in that mix: the double-crossing, poor excuse for an eldest son who shut himself up in his room for most the summer. Well, that's not entirely fairÉ I did go down for meals and the occasional bantering from my family. Otherwise I admittedly withdrew to my room for the better part of those long summer days.  
  
Dinnertime was unbearable. My father would often return from "work" tired and most disagreeable, shouting for the house elves to prepare dinner and for his family to join him around the table. I, of course, was the only one to ever silently curse this regular family gathering, not wanting to hear of my father's daily accomplishments.  
  
A quick word about my father's profession: it was far from what any sane person could consider a job. He simply muddled about with the rest of our pure-blood family and their extended members, pitching deal after deal, trading this for that. Not like he needed the money; the man could have never lifted a finger in his life and still have plenty of galleons to go around. Doing favors in return for other favors, covering his own hide in the eyes of anyone who held power, that's the part that bothered me most. How easily people were swayed by money, it made me sick. The absolute corruption...  
  
That's enough of that, I think.  
  
In any case, most nights went by without incident. I ate my dinner with my head down, seemingly listening to my father talk about his day. While my mother and brother would frequently praise him for his accomplishments, I took every opportunity I had to mutter my disagreement. My family had long ago stopped listening to my grunts of displeasure, and my once debate-inciting comments were now disregarded and ignored. That was for the better, I suppose. At least I didn't have to waste my breath trying to change people that I never could, even if I knew they would never stop trying to change me.  
  
The beginning of summer was going well by my standards. June rolled into July and my sixteen year-old self grew restless. I frequently ventured out of the house as my dog self at night, my need for fresh air had to be fulfilled. I had mastered my animagus transformation the previous year at Hogwarts, and I longed to run free. It was never as fun as it had been with my comrades, but getting out of that musty house was the closest thing I had to those nights we spent together.  
  
The first full moon since departing Hogwarts approached, and I grew anxious. My parents had no idea of my ability to turn into a dog, of course, and I had every intention of leaving my house the evening of the full moon to accompany Remus at his home. Not like my parents really cared. I came and went as I pleased. Even if they did have something to say, they could never stop me from venturing to visit Remus. After all, I had been accompanying Moony all year as the big black dog, and having it another way seemed out of the ordinary.  
  
I had already sent him a letter detailing my arrival a fortnight before the full moon, but I was worried when even four days before the night was upon us, I had still not heard back from him. I owled James immediately, giving strict instruction to the bird that he was not permitted to return home without a reply. Awaiting a reply from either of my friends made every hour in my house unbearable. I felt as if time was standing still between the musty walls, even the dust particles took their time swirling about before coming to a rest on the floor. Evening approached and still no word. Father called from downstairs, and I regretfully trudged down to the dinner table just as the sun set.  
  
"...And the man was too daft to realize the small fortune he had passed to me!" My dad said, finishing up his story. The end of his account was followed by his gruff laughter that, sickeningly enough, reminded me of my own.  
  
My mother squealed, clasping her hands over her wrinkled face in delight, while Regulus smirked, beaming with pride for his father. I, on the other hand, was almost through with my dinner and busily shifting the remnants of stew around my plate.  
  
"Sirius," my father began, I involuntarily twitched at the sound of my name, "don't you have anything to say?" He looked at me sternly, grey eyes boring into the side of my head. It was a rare occasion that he forced me to speak at the table. I never understood what made him want to hear what I had to say. It was as if he enjoyed the confrontation.  
  
I looked up from my plate slowly, eyes meeting his. I kept my features stoical and eyes void of emotions. I didn't want him to sense any weakness in me, even if I hated him so much that it made my insides burn. I forced myself to remain civil as I had done so many times before.  
  
"No." I answered simply, hands not leaving my cutlery.  
  
"No? No words of congratulations for your father?" He asked, sneering in my direction.  
  
Mum and Regulus abandoned their celebratory mannerisms and were now focusing their attentions to me. Regulus looked disgusted; mum was eyeing me warily.  
  
"No." I said again, trying to keep myself from looking anywhere besides his eyes.  
He shifted his weight in his chair, obviously unpleased with this answer.  
  
"Really? Do you not understand that what I do is directly because I want to provide for this family?" He continued with his questions.  
  
I snorted. Who did he think he was fooling? The last thing I needed was him preaching to me about what a saint he was and how unappreciative I was.  
  
"If by 'provide' you mean cheat your way through life using your family's fortune, then yes. That I can understand." I said the last bit through gritted teeth. I had stopped playing games with him long ago, and my temper wasn't going to last through this conversation much longer anyway.  
  
"Do not act like a spoiled snot towards your father, boy! I did not raise you to act that way!" He fumed, absolutely furious with my retort. Mum and Regulus looked between the two of us, expecting a fight.  
  
"I would rather act any way than the way you raised me!" I snarled back, still somewhat externally calm.  
  
He slammed his fists on the table and stood out of his chair, attempting to tower over me. Mum shot me a look that said "now you're going to get it."  
  
"How DARE you disrespect me in such a manner?!?" He bellowed, making nearby picture frames rattle. "I have given you every opportunity to make this family proud and what do you do? Prance around that Gryffindor house with your pathetic mudblood friends! You are an absolute DISGRACE!"  
  
"GOOD!" I roared, standing as well. "I'm GLAD I don't live up to your standards! I'm GLAD you think I'm a disgrace! I'm GLAD you" But I didn't get to finish that sentence.  
  
The sleek black owl that I had used that morning to send a letter to James hooted shrilly as it swooped through the kitchen and landed on the table, knocking down anything in it's path. Stew flew to the walls, silverware flipped around dangerously, and goblets of drink were spilled on the tablecloth. The owl rested in front of me and nibbled my hand happily, asking me to remove the parchment attached to its leg. I obliged and quickly untied the letter, and he was off again, knocking down anything on the table that was still upright. I saw that the letter was from James and quickly stuffed it into my pocket before bringing my gaze up to my father's. Mum was quivering as she stared at the giant mess, Regulus was covered in drink and looked furious about it, and father was red with rage.  
  
"Give me the letter, boy," he said to me, frighteningly calm.  
  
"It's not for you," I said, feeling the letter in my pocket.  
  
"You're under my roof, you'll do as I say! Now let me see the letter that is responsible for this mess!" He reached out to grab me, but I avoided him easily.  
  
"I said it's not for you!" I said as I moved backwards, knocking my chair over in my move to avoid his slithery fingers.  
  
"And I said you'll do as I say as long as you're under my roof!" He yelled, making another move for me.  
  
It was as if something had clicked in my mind. I had endured sixteen years of hell in my parent's house, and it felt that with every moment that passed, it became more and more unbearable. I had long ago rejected my parents' ideas and beliefs, opened my mind to reality as opposed to stuffing it with biased opinions as my brother had. I knew I didn't belong in this place, and I couldn't understand why I had stayed all this time. I couldn't think why I hadn't thought of leaving earlier. It all flew through my mind in an instant, and my course of action became clear.  
  
"Then I won't stay under your roof," I said calmly before smirking defiantly at my father.  
  
"W-what did you say?" my mother asked, saying her first words in quite some time.  
  
"I'm not staying under this roof. I'm leaving," I reiterated for her, and made my way out of the kitchen.  
  
"Stop him! STOP HIM!" my dad yelled from the rapidly receding dining room.  
  
No one moved to stop me, unless father screaming my name counted. I darted up the stairs and into my bedroom, many portraits murmuring after me, whispering to each other as I reached my large room. The packing process took me roughly seven minutes, even without magic. My possessions were strewn across the room, but I successfully gathered them up and into my trunk before anyone could come up and forbid me to leave.  
  
Wand in pocket, I bounded down the stairs dragging the heavy trunk behind me. It made a heavy clunk on every step it hit, and a symphony of bangs had echoed through the large welcome hall by the time I reached the bottom. I was met by my entire family, which had apparently been waiting for me.  
  
"You can take that right back up the stairs. You are not leaving and disgracing this family further," my father said, again in that oddly calm voice. His greasy black hair fell around his face, untidy from him being so riled up.  
  
I stood and stared at him in the eye, hating him. My gaze shifted to my mother next to him and then to Regulus behind the two. I hoisted my trunk closer to my body.  
  
"There is nothing you can do to keep me here," I said coldly, eyes narrowing as they rested again at my father.  
  
"Sirius," my mother began, "you are not allowed to leave. I forbid it."  
  
"Now get back upstairs," my father said again.  
  
"No!" I yelled. He made a move for me, but I pulled out my wand.  
  
"You wouldn't dare!" He said.  
  
"Oh? Don't put it past me." I pointed it between his eyes threateningly.  
  
"Sirius" My mother half-pleaded.  
  
"Stop it, Sirius! Put that thing away and get upstairs!" My father bellowed.  
  
"No," I said, moving towards him. "I refuse to stay in a home with people I HATE!" I snarled before kicking the door open and dragging my trunk out.  
  
"FINE!" Dad yelled out the door. "DON'T EVER COME BACK, YOU WILL NOT BE WELCOME!" he screamed before slamming the door shut.  
  
That was the last time I saw my parents alive.  
  
I ran with my trunk scratching the ground behind me, 12 Grimmauld place shrinking between two muggle houses as I finally reached the pavement. I continued running for a good ten minutes until I finally threw my trunk down on the pavement and collapsed upon it, breathing heavily. I looked around and realized I was almost halfway to James' house. Fishing his letter out of my pocket, I sat down on my trunk to read.  
  
_Padfoot-  
  
My notes to Moony remain unanswered as well and I fear for the worst. I still plan on arriving in his home this Monday, as does Wormtail. Hope to see you there.  
  
-Prongs_  
  
I stood up suddenly and, letter still in hand, grabbed my trunk and began dragging it the rest of the way to James' house. Various muggles on the street whispered to each other as I passed, but I didn't care. All that mattered to me was getting to James' house as quickly as possible. Even if he could just listen to me vent about what had happened in that awful house, even if all I wanted was someone to be on my side, that would be good enough for me.  
  
Once I had arrived on James' front door, I pulled my heavy trunk to rest on the large wooden porch. The Potters were very wealthy indeed. I had been to their house a few times over various holidays, but the enormous building still left me in awe. It was smaller than my parents' mansion, but it was beautiful and homey, unlike the empty shell where I had lived. Rich vegetation covered the front of the house, and I could see the petals of various kinds of flowers gleaming in the moonlight.  
  
I approached the beautifully carved front door and raised my hand to the doorbell. I hesitated, hand floating in midair an inch or two in front of the lit button. They must be eating or busy, I should come back another time. It was getting late; I didn't want to bother anyone. I could probably find a hotel or something nearby, Diagon Alley was probably only a couple of miles from here. My hand remained in front of the doorbell for a few moments longer until something inside me forced my hand forward. The pleasant chimes echoed through the house while I tried to straighten myself, wouldn't want James' parents to see me in a mess.  
  
Footsteps approached the door and stopped right in front of it. I could tell that whoever it was behind there was trying to see who was at their front door. I smiled nervously and tightened my grip on the handle of my trunk, crumpling James' letter between my palm and the handle. The door flew open and I was met with James.  
  
"You've grown," I said, smirking up at my friend who was now at least an inch or two taller than me.  
  
"Padfoot! What are you doing here?" He wore a face of amusement and shock, and he moved forward to embrace me.  
  
"It's a long story," I said and laughed, returning James' gesture.  
  
He released me, still smiling. "I see you received my letter, that's good. Your bloody bird wouldn't let me be until I answered!" He pointed down to my hand that held the letter.  
  
"Don't complain! You would have done the same thing!" I exclaimed. Seeing James had put me in a much better mood. I smiled and felt all the troubles from dinner melt away.  
  
After we had greeted each other, I explained in great detail the accounts from supper. James listened intently as we sat rocking on his porch swing, his face twisting into looks of disgust and surprise.  
  
"So you just left? Where are you going to live?" He asked, concern etched on his features.  
  
"I-I'm really not sure," I said, staring at my trunk a few feet away. "I was thinking a hotel at Diagon Alley or something. I do have that bit of gold my Uncle Alphard left me, maybe I could get a place of my own."  
  
"Nonsense, you're underaged! No one in their right mind would sell you a flat! And anyone who would is probably not someone you want as a landlord." James said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why don't you live here with me?"  
  
The solution seemed simple enough. I turned to face him with eager eyes.  
  
"Do you mean that? I mean, won't I be a bother? Your parents won't want me to..."  
  
"Oh shut it, Black." He cut me off. "I simply won't have you running around on your own, that's not fair to the unsuspecting people you run in to," he joked, punching me playfully on the shoulder. "And besides, my parents adore you, for some reason, and would be furious if you didn't stay." I laughed with James and beamed up at him, feeling happy and full of hope for the rest of the summer. I clasped a firm hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Thank you, Prongs," I said sincerely.  
  
"Anytime, mate," he too put a hand on my shoulder before standing from the swing. "Should we go inside, then? Mum and dad would probably like to see you before turning in."  
  
"Alright." I stood as well.  
  
We each grabbed an end of my trunk and hoisted it over the threshold together. The door closed behind us, clicking softly into place, and I knew from the two more cheery faces that greeted me, I was home.  
  
End of chapter one.  
  
Please review!  
  
Plans for next chapter: Sirius moves in with the Potters, the full moon, OWL results. Not necessarily in that order... XD 


	2. Worrying

Second chapter. Thanks for the reviews, guys.

See first chapter for disclaimer.

Hourglass

Moving in to the Potter's went smoothly. In fact, I doubt it could have gone better. I was ushered into the warm house by three pairs of welcoming arms and made to feel right at home. James' parents did not even question my reasons for running away. They had surely heard various accounts of my home life previously, either from James or myself, and knew what kind of people my parents were. I would not have minded telling them the story of my departure, had they asked. Instead, they busied themselves with escorting me up to a spare bedroom right next to James' and making sure I had everything I needed. They were remarkable people, more concerned about my well being than anything else at the time.

It grew late quickly, and I was bid goodnight with a sturdy handshake from Mr. Potter and a hug from Mrs. Potter. Once they had left the room, James immediately turned the conversation towards Remus.

"So, when did you say you sent him a letter?" James asked as he lifted a crumpled robe out of my trunk.

"About two weeks ago," I said, turning from the shelves I was putting my few books on. "I was worried when I hadn't heard from him, he's usually so diligent about writing."

"This is true. I wrote him a while ago as well. So did Wormtail, after I told him to. Do you think something's wrong?" He threw the robe on the bed and bent over to extract a moldy bag of pumpkin pastries. "This is gross, Padfoot."

"We'll only know once we get there, unfortunately," I answered, ignoring his comment on the package of food. "Speaking of which, do your parents know about..." I lowered my voice. "...you leaving?"

James grinned idiotically and a hand fell immediately into his hair. He ruffled it absent-mindedly and swung the bag of pasties with his other hand.

"Well, I haven't told them about it yet. I figured I -er- we could simply sneak out once the sun set." He chuckled nervously and tossed the pastries into the garbage can.

"Good plan," I said sarcastically. "Why don't you ask them? Say you're -um- we're going to visit Remus. They don't need to know why."

"But what if they say no? I'll still go, of course, but I'll feel guilty about it..."

"Because that's much worse than going without them knowing. I'm sure they won't ask any questions when you come home tired and dirty the next morning." I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Alright, I'll ask them," he scowled. He then screwed his face slightly in thought. "Think I should ask 'em if we can go early in the day? While I'm at it, that is."

"Why would you want to go early?" I asked.

"I'm worried about him. If anything is wrong, it would probably be best to show up during the day as opposed to night, don't you think?" James gave up on helping me unpack and flopped himself down on the bed, head resting in his hands.

"I suppose. Yea, that's a good idea," I said thoughtfully, turning back to the bookshelf to straighten it out. I wanted to keep the room tidy, even if it went against my nature.

The rest of the evening was relatively uneventful minus the unpacking I did. James watched me from the bed, making conversation about the latest Quidditch match and such. He eventually left when we both decided to turn in. I was sad to see him go, a part of me wanted him to sleep in 'my' room with me. At Hogwarts we had always shared a room, and when I visited before, I had slept in James' room. I guess the Potters figured I should have my own room if I was going to be staying for a good amount of time. Nonetheless, it was weird to know James was sleeping just next to me but we were separated by a wall. I looked around the large dark room and felt as if it were empty and strange. So many thoughts were going through my mind that I don't even remember when I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up later than usual. The sun was almost directly above us when I fumbled out of bed and into the bathroom across the hall. I took a well-deserved shower, giving myself plenty of time to allow the steam and suds to soak into my skin. I wondered what my family was doing as I allowed the water to stream down my body, dripping off my fingers that stayed motionless at my sides. I did not let myself dwell on them for much longer, not wanting my anger to rise once more, and soon left the pleasant warmth of the shower. Towel around my lower half, I waltzed out of the bathroom with wet hair still sticking to my forehead and ran right into James. He looked like he had been awake for a good while longer than I.

"Sleep enough?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest in an amused fashion.

"For once, yes." I grinned sheepishly and ruffled my hair, causing water droplets to fly out in his general direction.

"Good because there's mail for you downstairs." He pulled out an unopened envelope with his name on it; it was obviously from Hogwarts.

"Don't tell me..." I began.

"Yup. OWL scores. I've been waiting all morning so we can open ours together. So hurry up and put some damn clothes on!" James pushed me towards my room.

"Ah, alright!" I said, struggling to keep my balance and towel on at the same time. "You know, you could have just opened yours without me..."

James gave me a deadly look and closed my door behind me. I chuckled to myself and slipped into a comfortable pair of slacks and a navy shirt as quickly as possible. I flung the bedroom door open and chased James down the stairs to the kitchen. Sure enough, my letter was waiting for me on the table, right next to Mrs. Potter. She looked up from her tea and smiled as James and I barged noisily into the room.

"Good morning, Sirius. We've been waiting for you to wake up," she said cheerily.

"Oh Mrs. P, you didn't need to wait up for me." I smiled back, pushing some still wet hair out of my eyes.

"Dumbledore must know you're here." She handed me my letter and I took it from her, laughing at the fact that it said my name but the Potter's address.

James and I faced each other, each with our separate letter in hand. We counted to three together and ripped open the envelopes, discarding the useless paper away and hurriedly unfolding the papers inside. We each took our time reading our own scores to ourselves.

"Charms?" He asked.

"Outstanding, of course. You?" I asked.

"Outstanding, of course," he mimicked me. "Transfiguration? I scraped an Exceeds Expectations."

"Outstanding again. Tough luck, mate." I smirked at him, we both knew an E was just as good.

"Yea, yea. Another Exceeds Expectations in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Ditto. And even another in Binns. Won't he be surprised!"

"I hear ya. Good thing he's already dead otherwise he'd have a heart attack," he said and we both laughed.

"Ug. Acceptable in Potions," I said, making a face.

"E for me. Not like I'm ever taking that class again." James remarked.

"What about Divination? I pulled another A." I lowered my paper from my face.

"Same. And an A in Care for Magical Creatures."

"I managed to get an E, by pure luck I'm sure." I folded my paper back up.

"You both passed all your exams!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed suddenly, rising out of her seat and smiling widely. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks mum," James said, allowing her to kiss him on both cheeks.

I just smiled as she kissed me afterwards as well. It felt wonderful to have the weight of exams lifted off my shoulders. Even though I outwardly displayed no care for the exams and their outcomes, I was more than relieved to have the OWLs behind me. At least my grades were never something my parents could complain about. I wondered to myself if the school had sent a copy of my results to them as well, not that I cared. I had calmed down since the previous night, but I still planned on never going back home again as long as I could help it.

"Hey mum," James began, stirring me out of my reverie, "you know, Sirius and I were wondering if it would be alright if we went to visit Remus this Monday? He lives just a short whiles away, you know, and we would really like to pay him a visit considering we haven't seen him since the end of term. So can we go?"

"Yea can we?" I added, putting an arm around James and smiling cheesily.

"Oh, since you both did so well, I don't see why not!" she said, clasping her hands together in front of her chest, still beaming.

James and I jumped up together in triumph, thanking Mrs. Potter for allowing us to go. We both ran up the stairs to owl Remus immediately, despite the fact that he had not answered any of our previous letters. We still had hope that Remus was at least reading our letters.

"I'll write it then." James said, taking out some parchment and a quill.

I nodded and stood directly behind him, watching him write the letter.

_Moony-_

Seems our plans have changed slightly. Padfoot is now staying with me, and we plan on arriving early Monday so we can catch up a bit before night arrives. Hope that is alright.

"Say that we're worried and hope he writes back soon." I said.

_We're worried since we haven't heard from you, please write back soon, if possible._

_-Prongs and Padfoot_

James sealed the letter and walked over to the window, whistling for their family owl. After the letter was on its way, James and I had to think of something to occupy ourselves with in the meantime. After all, waiting around for a letter that would probably never arrive could make the day pass by slowly. We finally resolved to practicing some flying outside on some of the broomsticks the Potters kept. James was on his fancy new Nimbus 1000, and I kept myself more than entertained on a less flashy model. We flew around the enormous back yard, keeping low and within the safety of the large trees surrounding it protectively. James flew circles around me, performing tricks and stunts that I could never imagine doing myself. I did pull off a sort of barrel roll, but that was only after falling off twice. I knew my place on the Quidditch field was, and always would be, on the sidelines.

Flying lasted us until late afternoon, and we turned in just as the sun began disappearing. James' dad had just come home from work at the ministry and his mum was just finishing with dinner. One thing I had always marveled about the Potters is that they always did everything for themselves. Mr. Potter had inherited a small fortune from his parents, but he still worked hard and earned a good living for himself. Mrs. Potter did all the housework herself, took care of her family, helped her husband with bills and such. They didn't have a single house-elf, although I'm sure any elf would rather serve the Potters than most other families who still owned them.

"Ah, the scholars are home!" Mr. Potter announced as James and I walked in through the back door. He had apparently seen both of our OWL results. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," we chimed together, seating ourselves at the dinner table.

"You know, I think you two should go to Hogsmeade tomorrow to reward yourselves, my treat." Mr. Potter reached out both hands, one to me and one to James, and presented us with ten galleons each.

"Thanks, dad!" James exclaimed, counting the coins in his hands.

"Mr. Potter, thank you but I can't take this, I-" I tried to say and hand back the money.

"Nonsense, Sirius!" Mr. Potter said. "This is a gift from my wife and me to you for doing so well on your OWLs. Seeing as you are like our second son, now more than ever, you deserve some praise for your efforts from us," he said, smiling.

"Thank you," was all I could say.

I didn't stop smiling all through dinner, Mr. Potter's words had really meant a lot to me. He had called me a second son, he considered me a part of the family. It was cheesy, I knew, but I was overjoyed to be accepted into the loving home. I had always felt at home with the Potters, but now I knew it was for good; this would always be a place I could call my home.

James and I had a hard time falling asleep that night, overexcited about our trip to Hogsmeade the next day. We stayed up late, talking about various things before eventually calling it a night. Once again, I felt a bit out of place sleeping in the room by myself, but I settled myself with thoughts that I would get used to it. After all, it would be close to another two months until school began. I gazed at the ceiling above my bed, finally drifting off to sleep.

It was a good thing that James and I had Hogsmeade the next day, otherwise I'm sure we would have gone insane waiting for Monday to come. We traveled by Floo powder, arriving in the Three Broomsticks just as the breakfasting customers were clearing out. It wasn't as empty as I had expected it to be, but it was obviously lacking the large student population I was used to seeing. We debated whether or not butterbeer was a good idea, considering it was so warm outside. We decided not to get any, in the end, and walked over to Honeydukes instead. We spent much of our money there, indulging in all the sweets we could carry.

Once we had filled out pockets there, we headed to Zonko's to see if anything was worth purchasing for the upcoming school year. The usual stock was there, nothing special on the shelves up front. We moved towards the back, and we finally saw what we were looking for.

"The Forget-Me-Please, throw one down and a cloud of smoke appears, making your enemy temporarily loose their short-term memory," I read out loud, holding the box of five in my hands.

"Let's get it!" James said, snatching it out of my hand.

"Definitely. And it's the last one, no one in school will have one," I said, taking it back to check the price. "Whoa, four galleons... I only have one and a few sickles left."

"I can cover the rest," he said. "It's definitely worth it."

I nodded and we moved up to the front to pay, and noticed the wizard behind the counter was eyeing us suspiciously, as if we were planning on stealing something. James and I paid for the Forget-Me-Pleases and left quickly, before the old wizard could say anything to us.

"What was up with him?" James asked as we made our way back to the Three Broomsticks.

"Beats me. Wand up his ass or something," I replied, taking some never-ending licorice out of my pocket and munching on it.

It was getting late and my stomach was rumbling, hungry for something other than junk food. Suddenly, James stopped dead in his tracks and stared ahead. I looked in the direction he was, but couldn't see what had grabbed his attention.

"What?" I asked.

"Look," he pointed forward. "That's Moony's mum and dad."

I stared where he was pointing and sure enough, there they were. They were obviously not accompanied by their son and were looking into a window displaying some elegant dress robes.

"Should we go up to them?" I asked James, who had by now lowered his hand.

"I don't know," he answered, eyes still fixed on the couple.

"We should," I decided out loud and took James' hand to lead him towards the Lupins.

They seemed oblivious to our presence even as we stood right next to them. Mrs. Lupin turned her head and uttered a startled 'Oh!' as she caught sight of us.

"Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. Lupin," I said sweetly. "Do you remember us? I'm Sirius Black and this is James Potter, we're good friends of Moon -er- Remus'." I noticed Mrs. Lupin's eyes dart around uncomfortably at the mention of our names.

"Of course we remember!" Mr. Lupin said, a little too enthusiastically. "How are you boys? Enjoying your summer?"

"Yes, thank you," I replied, just as kindly as before. James muttered in agreement. "We were actually wondering where Remus was, he hasn't responded to any of our letters."

The Lupins exchanged nervous glances.

"I don't recall him receiving any letters," Mrs. Lupin finally said.

"Oh, well we wanted to come and visit Monday, if that's all right," James finally spoke up, although his voice sounded timid.

"But tomorrow is..." Mrs. Lupin trailed off and stared at her husband.

"We know," I answered quickly and said nothing more, hoping that they would be able to figure out the rest for themselves.

"You boys can go if you want, but we... we aren't _responsible_ for anything. In fact, we won't even be there," Mr. Lupin said coolly after more exchanges with his wife.

And suddenly, they were off without a good-bye. Mr. Lupin whisked his wife away in the opposite direction, and they didn't look back.

"I don't think they like us very much," James said, eyes trailing after them.

"No kidding," I said bitterly. "Something is wrong, did you see how uncomfortable they looked? Eyes darting around, not really wanting to speak with us."

"You don't think Moony...might be..." James began, but was unable to finish his sentence.

"Of course not!" I exclaimed and resumed walking.

We didn't say anything on our way back to the house except James' address as we yelled into the fire before throwing the floo powder. We were each lost in our own thoughts, but they both most definitely fell along the lines of concern for Remus. The way his parents had acted in front of us was definitely a warning sign. I mean, I knew that they didn't think we were a good influence on him, but their attitudes went beyond a simple dislike. They were uneasy at the mention of the full moon, which was to be expected I guess. But that whole thing they tried to pass about Remus not receiving any letters just didn't convince me. Something was wrong indeed.

I'm not really sure how either James or I got any sleep that night. Of course, we didn't tell his parents about the suspicions we had of the Lupins; no need to worry them over it. I felt guilty keeping something from the two people who had been kinder to me than my own parents over the past few days. Then again, if we worried them about it, they would never let us go, and Remus would be lonely on the night of the full moon. These contradicting thoughts spun through my head all night, making sleep difficult.

The next morning produced a bright, cloudless sky. I rose early, and promptly walked into James' room. It seemed that he had had a rough night as well, the bags under his eyes were visible even with his glasses partly obscuring them from view. We got dressed quickly and each packed an overnight bag before going downstairs for a quick breakfast. We said our good-byes to James' folks and head out the front door on foot.

Remus lived a good forty or so miles away; it would be impossible to travel that distance by walking. Luckily, James' father had arranged for ministry transportation to pick us up at the nearest muggle bus stop. It was a good half-hour walk towards the designated pick-up area, but we got there at eleven o'clock: right on time. Unfortunately for us, the transportation was very, very late. Mr. Potter had warned us about this, but seeing as floo powder was out of the question, we didn't really have another option. For lunch, we had leftover candies and pastries from Hogsmeade, which we had brought just in case we weren't able to eat anything until later.

The car took another three hours to arrive, by then James and I had watched seventy-three buses go by, picking up and dropping off muggles. A cheery, round man ushered us into the car, apologizing for the delay. We were finally off, soon leaving behind the city on a highway and into a more rural area. The drive really only took about forty-five minutes, but every agonizing minute felt like an hour. The driver eventually stopped in front of Remus' long driveway and bid us good-bye, apologizing once more for being so late. We said good-bye and practically sprinted up the driveway once he was out of sight.

We knocked hard on the door and called for Remus. No answer. We called louder and louder, banging on the door until our knuckles were raw.

"I think it's open," James said and turned the knob.

We entered slowly, carefully. Each step was made with caution, our eyes darting around the downstairs of the house.

"Remus? Moony?" James and I yelled together.

"In here," we heard a weak voice call from upstairs.

We dashed up the stairs, unprepared for what would meet us.

**HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP**

End of chapter 2. Reviews much appreciated!


	3. Summer Moons

Third chapter, thanks for the reviews everyone!

See chapter one for disclaimer.

[I just want to point out that there are no pairings and no slash in this story. The boys are simply best friends and have strong brotherly love for each other. Thanks :D]

Hourglass

There's this feeling that sometimes occurs the few moments before you find out that one thing that has you worked up at the moment. It seems like time is moving in slow motion, every step that you take feels like you just aren't getting there as fast as you should. Your heart stops in your chest, afraid to beat too loudly and disturb the events you know are about to take place. It's as if every stair we climbed to reach Remus was another mountain to scale. And then, suddenly, it's over. Time hits you hard and your hearts beats fast, making up for lost time. We reached the top of the stairs in a whirlwind of these things, hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

James and I stopped dead in our tracks. We had expected to find Remus, but all we were met with was a closed door.

"Don't try to open it, you won't be able to," said the defeated voice from behind the door.

"Moony?" I put my hands up against the door. I felt around it and tried to turn the handle. Of course, it wouldn't budge. I cursed loudly and kicked the door.

"We could open it with a simple spell," James said, pulling out his wand.

"Don't even think about it," Remus said from behind the door, this time stronger. "You'll get expelled if you use magic! Besides, _alohamora_ won't cut it. Dad put a special..." He trailed off.

James and I looked at each other, horrified. That's why Remus' parents had acted so odd about it before; they had locked Remus up in his room to suffer alone! How could they do this to their son? I felt my face grow hot with anger and I clenched my hands into tight fists.

"Moony... Remus... why did your parents do this?" I asked through my clenched teeth.

We heard a heavy sigh from the other side, and footsteps sounded closer as Remus approached. I heard him lean against the door, his voice was very clear now, and disturbingly calm.

"They're just trying to keep me inside for tonight, it's only temporary," Remus said as if he agreed with it all. "I won't be able to break through this door no matter what, the same charm was put on the window. It will keep me inside."

"So they just left you here for the weekend?! What about food and drink? And toilet? And some fresh air, for god's sake?!" I practically yelled.

There was no answer from the other side of the door for quite some time. James looked at me as if he were going to be sick.

"I was given food," Remus finally said.

I looked down and saw his hand sticking through a sort of slot at the bottom of the door. His fingers wiggled comically in sharp contrast to the mood of the situation. I dropped to my knees and bent forward to look through the door, James did the same. We were met with sad amber eyes peering through messy dirty blonde hair. He smiled at us weakly, and I knew how much this was probably hurting his pride. Remus had always been a proud person, a shot to his character was worse to him than a shot to the head. Now here he was, locked in his room and completely helpless with James and I watching.

"This isn't right at all, you have to get out," James said, shaking his head. "You shouldn't be locked in here, we're going to get you out."

"Don't!" Remus said desperately. "Just... don't, alright? My parents are just trying to protect me, this is the only way they know how! Please don't try and help..."

His words were hard to listen to, especially as they became choked towards the end. Remus moved his face away from the slot in the door, and I could have sworn that he was doing his very best to conceal tears. James looked to me, but all I did was shake my head. Remus would have been furious at us if we tried anything. We couldn't do anything but be there for him, even if we wanted to do so much more.

"Okay Moony." I said softly and got off the floor, tearing my face away from the slot into his room. I put my back against the door, leaning on it for some sort of support.

James looked at me with pleading eyes. _This isn't right,_ he was trying to tell me. I looked at him briefly, sending him a mental _I know_ before looking the other way. James stayed seated on the floor and also leaned against the door, ruffling his hair in thought. The three of us sat in silence for a few more agonizing moments, listening to the floor creak under our weight.

"I-I got my OWL scores," Remus finally said, slipping a piece of paper through the slot. It breezed through the hole before falling next to James, who promptly picked it up.

"Transfiguration, O. Charms, O. Moony, you got an Outstanding on everything except potions!" James read out loud, half in excitement and half in disbelief.

"Only an Exceeds Expectations in potions? What _are_ we going to do with you?" I teased, trying desperately to pick up the somber mood.

"They're going to expel me for sure," Remus answered, something like a chuckle escaping his lips afterwards.

"We all knew it wouldn't last," James said, pushing the paper back into the door.

"Pity, I was looking forward to next year," Remus said. "And were you two expelled as well?"

"Put it this way Moony: if you were expelled for your grades, then we were taken out back and killed for ours." I said.

"But we did at least pass them all," James added. "It was our last words; 'Tell Remus we passed our OWLs!'"

"Well then, it's a good thing I kept your last letters to me. As memorabilia after your deaths, that is." Remus said, and a shuffling of papers could be heard.

"We hoped you were at least reading them, even if you weren't answering," James said.

"Yes, sorry about that. Mum and dad didn't want me... well, I'm sure you understand. I would have written back if I could, I'm sorry," Remus explained quickly.

"No apologies necessary," James said. "We were just worried about you is all."

"Hoped you hadn't fallen off the face of the Earth or something," I added.

"Well I'm very much still here. Next time, I will try writing back. Mum and dad won't have much of an argument now that you know where I spend my full moons while home." Remus said. It seemed like the more he talked about being locked up in that room, the easier it became. For him, at least.

The chimes of a doorbell was heard from downstairs, followed by loud knocking at the door.

"That would be Peter," James said. "I'll go fetch him."

I watched James clump down the stairs, calling 'I'm coming!' as he did so. Remus and I sat in silence, but I'm sure we were thinking the same thing: what Peter's reaction would be. It's not that Peter was insensitive or anything, and he really did have love for Remus. It's just that... things out of the ordinary made Peter uncomfortable, frightened him even. Chances were that we were going to have to sweet talk Peter into keeping calm about the situation at hand.

As the two came upstairs, I overheard James softly explaining what was going on to Peter. The shorter boy's face was pale and his eyes were darting around nervously.

"Hey Wormtail," I said from my position against the door.

"H-hey Padfoot," he said shakily before turning to James. "Remus is in _there_?" he said in a whisper.

James nodded and Peter swallowed hard before walking up to the door.

"Hi Moony, it's me, Peter Pettigrew," he said.

I rolled my eyes and James stifled a chuckle.

"Hi Peter, how are you?" Remus said sweetly from behind the door.

"I'm swell, w-what about you?"

"Good, thank you."

Peter smiled and visibly relaxed, his body becoming less stiff and his eyes crinkling in the corners.

"Oh, I brought you something," Peter said, shuffling through the large bag that was swaying at his side. "Mum said I really didn't need it," he chuckled nervously, "and then I remembered how much you love chocolate." He pulled out a melted bar of Honeydukes chocolate and held it through the slot at the bottom of the door.

"Thank you, Peter!" Remus said from behind the door. "I think I'm going to save it for tomorrow morning, I'll need it." He kept an upbeat tone of voice as we heard him go put the chocolate somewhere.

"You know Wormtail," I began, "you could probably fit through that hole in the door. Keep Moony company."

"Yea, that's a brilliant idea!" James chimed in.

"I-I don't know," Peter said, backing away from the door slightly.

"Don't force him to do anything he doesn't want to," Remus called nervously from behind the door.

"Of course we're not." I looked Peter squarely in the eye, my glare doing much more than words could.

Peter looked from me to James, who promptly nodded. He was shaking slightly, but soon exhaled and returned to a normal exterior.

"Alright. To keep Moony company." Peter looked at the door, full of meaning, and shut his eyes tightly. His transformation took mere seconds, and he was soon a full rat.

"Right on, Peter," James said encouragingly and scooped the rat off the floor. He held it up to the slot in the door, and it scampered in.

Sunset approached soon after Peter's arrival. I don't think I had ever heard or seen Remus transform into a werewolf before that day. At Hogwarts, we had always joined up after his transformation in the shack, and were there when he turned back into a human. But him turning into a werewolf, that was something different. The screams of pain were almost unbearable to listen to. I felt so helpless as he went through hell on the other side of the door, I wanted to break it open more than ever. I had never really understood the absolute agony Remus went through every month until I witnessed it first hand. Full moons had always been such fun for me, a chance to get our a stretch my legs, break a few rules. Sometimes it was easy to forget that these nights were a different experience for Remus.

James and I transformed into our animagus forms even though we couldn't be in the room with Remus. We were more likely to help Remus keep his mind as animals; being human would probably only make the wolf angry. I barked at him from the hallway, let him know that his 'pack' was there. Throughout the night, we heard the wolf destroying the room, banging up against the walls, and howling. James and I called to him desperately all night, pacing back and forth in front of the door. Peter stayed inside, but we knew he was keeping himself hidden... which was for the best. If I were small as a rat, I would have done the same thing. But he was doing his part, keeping a watchful eye on Remus from the inside. That's how it went all night, desperate calls to each other, James and I locked out, helpless to comfort the poor beast.

After one of the longest nights I can remember, dawn came. Peter managed to get back out of the room and tell us Remus had returned to normal. The three of us also returned to our human forms, tired and worried. I stood from the ground and walked up to the door.

"Remus?" I called softly, soothingly. I leaned my weight against the door, trying my best to hear any answer. James leaned behind me and Peter behind him.

Suddenly, we heard a light click from the door as it swung open, depositing the three of us onto the floor of Remus' room. I noticed that the room was practically empty except for a now torn up mattress and a few of Remus' strewn possessions. After untangling myself from underneath James and Peter, I looked up to find Remus. He was gazing out the window, draped in the remnants of a bed sheet, and gripping tightly onto the windowsill. He was breathing heavily and caked in blood from his own wounds.

"The door unlocks itself at dawn," he said in a monotone voice, still facing out the window.

"How are you feeling?" I asked wearily, approaching him from behind.

He didn't answer for a while, grip never loosening on the windowsill.

"I'm very tired," he finally answered. "I think I should clean up and sleep a bit now." His voice was soft and hoarse.

"Peter, go get some water and a washcloth," I heard James say. Peter nodded quickly and ran off before James came and stood by me.

"Alright, Moony," I coaxed, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help if you want..."

"I can do it," he quickly cut me off and finally let go of the windowsill, turning to face us for the first time. His dirty blonde hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and blood. A large cut on his chest was still fresh and bleeding, staining the sheet that covered his body so protectively. He began walking towards the door, and we noticed he had a terrible limp.

"Moony, may we please help?" James asked sweetly, as if talking to a child.

"Thanks but I've caused you all enough trouble already," Remus answered stubbornly and continued limping past us. Gravity soon got the better of him, though, and he tripped while trying to take a step on his bad leg.

James and I both moved to catch him before he hit the floor. We hoisted him up and supported him between the two of us.

"Alright?" James asked, worried.

"...Let go," Remus said, head bowed.

"Oh shut up, Lupin," I said. "Accepting a little help doesn't make you less of a person." I said this all perhaps a tad too harshly, and soon softened my voice. "Besides, you're no trouble at all. And I'm afraid that if you shoo us off, you'll never hear the end of it."

A hoarse, throaty laugh passed from Remus' lips, sounding more like wheezing than actual laughter.

"Can't have that, can we?" he said softly. He let out a long sigh and lifted his head higher. "Thank you for that. Shall we?" He began leading us in the direction of his actual bedroom, leaning on James and I for support.

Remus made himself comfortable in his bedroom, immediately flopping down onto the large bed in the corner. Peter soon arrived with a basin of warm water and a washcloth, which he set down on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Sorry mate, this is the next best thing after healing magic," I said apologetically.

"This is fine, thank you," Remus said, a weak arm stretching out in attempt to try reach the basin. He couldn't get to it; he was that weak. Instead, he unintentionally sunk further into the pillows and sheets beneath him.

My eyes shot up into his, pleading for his permission to help. I wanted then so badly to help, to wash away the remnants of what he had been a mere fifteen minutes ago. He met my gaze evenly and I could tell he was thinking it over in his head.

"Would you mind terribly, Padfoot?" Remus asked softly.

"Of course not," I said a little too eagerly. "Er, wouldn't want you to get infected or something." Wringing the excess water out of the cloth, I began to wipe his forehead clean, uncovering the sullen eyes beneath all the filth.

Peter took a seat on the corner of the bed and James brought a chair to the bedside, beginning to chat about Quidditch. I barely listened, I had heard this all a few days ago after all, and continued my task. Remus didn't make eye contact with me as I moved the cloth back and forth over his skin. Instead, he tried his very best to keep up conversation with James and Peter, covering up winces with forced smiles. He had more gashes than I was used to seeing, and the one on his leg was particularly deep. I cleaned until the water in the basin was a dirty crimson color. James wrapped him in bandages (he always had been better at that than me) just as the entire sun became visible over the horizon.

"I'm exhausted," Peter commented after a long yawn.

"Me too," Remus said, catching Peter's yawn.

"Get some sleep, then," James said.

"That's a very good idea," Remus answered, snuggling into the blankets.

I climbed onto the bed at Remus' feet and made myself comfortable. James sunk into his chair after closing the curtains, and Peter rolled into a little ball on the rug up against the wall.

"'Night all," I said.

I received a few goodnights in return. Remus gave me a tired smile before closing his eyes and immediately drifting off. I, on the other hand, did not fall asleep immediately. My absolute sorrow for Remus was making my insides hurt now more than ever. Thoughts of the abysmal curse Remus had to deal with ran through my mind repeatedly, causing my brain to remain active for a few minutes after everyone had dosed off. I don't remember falling asleep or passing through the stage of half-consciousness. All I remember is the alarming hunger I felt upon waking in the afternoon...

End of chapter three

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review with constructive criticism, encouragement... I'll take anything :P


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